Variocast Seeder

Variocast seeders are typically used to sow small seeds e.g. OSR, stubble turnips, cover crops as well as to apply slug pellets. The Variocast range includes the Variocast 8, a pneumatic mechanical seeder where the seed roller metering is driven by a land wheel. The Variocast is also offered as an electronic seeder, where the metering roller is driven electronically utilising radar for accurate forward speed metering - the 8E, the 8E Pro and the 16E Pro.   

It cuts seed rates and establishment costs whilst improving yields - utilise a Variocast to take advantage of Till-Seeding techniques and improve gross margins.

With the subsoiler working at a medium depth and the Variocast Seeder set to seed in bands behind the legs you make serious in-roads into output and cost. Furthermore the loosened sub soil promotes long, strong taproot growth.

Sowing in bands gives each plant the room to develop through better light interception, branching out and encouraging flower heads on the lateral branches as well as the main stem and overall requires less seed whilst still attaining good yields.

Unlike most other types of seed applicators the Variocast Seeder uses individual metering wheels for each seed outlet enabling extremely accurate metering and guaranteeing the same amount of seed is fed to each outlet. This is crucially important when using low application rates.

Four types of metering rollers are available for the Variocast.

The Variocast 8 seeder comes with coarse (green) and fine (blue) seed rollers as standard -the third or fourth seed rollers can be supplied as optional extras.

There are eight seed outlets as standard but it is possible to blank off a number of them using the Blanking Roller and Stop Kit, for example for applying seed in a band behind a five leg subsoiler with one outlet per leg, running directly in-line with each leg.

The Variocast Seeder can be used for either band application (recommended for OSR) or to spread seed evenly across the whole width (recommended for cover crops and environmental establishment scheme mixes)

The standard broadcasting outlets spread the seed in a overlapping pattern for an even full width coverage. Alternatively modified outlets are used for band application of seed into rows. The seed placement is adjusted by changing the height of the distribution outlet, this will give you wider or narrower bands.

The amount of seed applied is controlled by the speed of the metering roller, this is adjusted until the desired application rate is achieved.

The in cab control box facilitates a simple calibration and rate on the move adjustment on the electronically controlled version	Calibration is performed by removing the metering roller cover and using a calibration tray.

Mechanical Variocast Seeders come with spoked land wheel drive to give constant forward speed related metering. The electronic, 8E, 8E Pro and 16E Pro Variocast seeders use radar for accurate forward speed metering. 

On some tractors it is possible to connect to the tractors own radar system. Forward speed related metering means accurately maintained application rates on high draft machines and in awkward shaped fields where ground speed may vary.

Variocast seeder's are supplied with a strong mounting plate which assist fitting to whatever cultivation machine is chosen. The hopper and chassis are built to withstand the rigors of high speed seeding in hard ground.

Three simple steps to mounting your Variocast for ideal seed placement:

Step 1 - Hopper positioning
The Variocast Seeder Hopper can be mounted anywhere but it is important to ensure that the pipes to the outlets are not too long and that the seed always flows downhill.

Practicalities of calibration and filling the hopper should always be considered when mounting the hopper. A simple base plate is provided to bolt or weld onto the implement, the Variocast can then be mounted onto this and removed if necessary.

Step 2 - Land wheel drive / radar
Variocast's are capable of metering to within 0.1Kg/ha if required which is critically important with expensive small seeds. The land wheel drive is an important part of this accurate metering and should be mounted out of the way of soil flow from the cultivator where it can float freely to follow the contours of the land.

A correctly positioned piece of 50mm box section is all that is required to mount the land wheel assembly. The optional radar needs to be mounted at 45 degrees from horizontal and the sensor should ideally be mounted between 60cm and 90cm above the ground to ensure an accurate reading of the forward speed. A radar cutout switch may be needed to cut off reading when turning on the headlands.

Step 3 - Outlets
Positioning the outlets correctly is critical for good seed placement. With most applications the outlets should be mounted just behind the cultivation elements and in front of the press roller.

Where possible some adjustment should be designed into the mounting of the outlets to allow fine tuning of the seed placement in the field. The optional 1.5m or 2m distributor holders assist mounting the outlets and allow horizontal and vertical adjustment to alter the spread pattern.

Typically used to sow small seeds e.g. OSR, stubble turnips, cover crops as well as to apply slug pellets, this low cost 8 outlet, mechanically driven, pneumatic seeder is usually mounted to subsoilers and other cultivation machinery. The rotary feed, seed roller metering is driven by a land wheel, with delivery via an twin electric fans.

• Maximum spread width of 6m, hopper capacity 180 litres

• Ground wheel drive – consistent seed rate

• Stepless metering gearbox with individual metering roller per outlet

• Green “coarse” and blue “fine” seed roller as standard - other rollers available

• Special distribution plates – even seed distribution in a band or broadcast

• Calibration control - simple calibration at the press of a button

• Powder coated and anodised - built to last

Being ground wheel driven it maintains a consistent seed rate whatever speed the implement is working at. Drive is taken from the spoked land wheel and transmitted through a 12mm flexible drive cable to a variator gearbox. A simple lever system on the gearbox adjusts the output shaft speed and therefore seed rate.

Typically used to sow small seeds e.g. OSR, stubble turnips, cover crops as well as to apply slug pellets, the pneumatic, electronic Variocast 8E is usually mounted to subsoilers and other cultivation machinery.

The metering roller is driven electronically utilising a radar for accurate forward speed monitoring on all models, with air supplied via twin electric fans, allowing infinitely variable and extremely accurate seed rates to be achieved.

• Maximum spread width of 6m (8 outlets), hopper capacity 180 litres

• Individual metering roller per outlet – precise distribution

• Green “coarse” and blue “fine” seed roller as standard - other rollers available

• Special distribution plates – even seed distribution in a band or broadcast

• Variable seed rate and calibration control - accuracy

• Low level hopper alarm and drive belt sensor

• Hectare meter

• Calibration control - simple calibration at the press of a button

• Powder coated and anodised - built to last

Oilseed Rape seed rates or rather seed numbers per square metre are critical to control cost and maximise yield. The Variocast 8E allows unmatched precision whilst also monitoring the seed levels and work rates for the operator.

Typically used to sow small seeds e.g. OSR, stubble turnips, cover crops as well as to apply slug pellets, the pneumatic, electronic Variocast 8E Pro is usually mounted to subsoilers and other cultivation machinery.

The metering roller is driven electronically utilising a radar for accurate forward speed monitoring on all models, with air supplied via a hydraulic fan, allowing infinitely variable and extremely accurate seed rates to be achieved.

• Maximum spread width of 6m (8 outlets), hopper capacity 180 litres

• Individual metering roller per outlet – precise distribution

• Green “coarse” and blue “fine” seed roller as standard - other rollers available

• Special distribution plates – even seed distribution in a band or broadcast

• Variable seed rate and calibration control - accuracy

• Low level hopper alarm and drive belt sensor

• Hectare meter

• Calibration control - simple calibration at the press of a button

• Powder coated and anodised - built to last

The hydraulic fan is ideal if you require more air flow due to one of the following reasons:
1) The Variocast seeder needs mounting a long way from the seed application point requiring seed hoses larger than 4m.
2) Where dividers are required to achieve 10 or more outlets.
3) Especially high seed rates or forward speeds are required.
4) Working widths above 6.5m are required (9.5m)

Typically used to sow small seeds e.g. OSR, stubble turnips, cover crops as well as to apply slug pellets, the pneumatic, electronic Variocast 16E Pro is usually mounted to subsoilers and other cultivation machinery.

The metering roller is driven electronically utilising a radar for accurate forward speed monitoring on all models, with air supplied via twin electric fans or hydraulic fan on PRO models, allowing infinitely variable and extremely accurate seed rates to be achieved.

• Maximum spread width of 6m (8 outlets), hopper capacity 180 litres

• Individual metering roller per outlet – precise distribution

• Green “coarse” and blue “fine” seed roller as standard - other rollers available

• Special distribution plates – even seed distribution in a band or broadcast

• Variable seed rate and calibration control - accuracy

• Low level hopper alarm and drive belt sensor

• Hectare meter

• Calibration control - simple calibration at the press of a button

• Powder coated and anodised - built to last

The Variocast 16E Pro has all the features of the Variocast 8E Pro but with twice the outlets giving you 16 in total. It has a maximum working width of 12.3m and is the machine to use if you require more outlets than 8. The Variocast 16E Pro Seeder also comes standard with a large 400ltr hopper, hydraulic fan and electronic control box.